Absorbent articles for absorption of body fluids are available in a number of different designs. For absorption of urine and excrement, use is generally made of diapers or incontinence guards with a shape which, during use, simulates a pair of briefs. Such diapers can of course be designed as one-piece absorbent briefs which are taken off in the same way as a pair of conventional briefs. A design of this kind is, however, best suited for use by persons who are able to stand up and can put the diaper on and take it off themselves. For young children and incontinent adults with reduced mobility and impaired balance, for whom the diaper is usually put on and taken off by a guardian or helper, other types of diapers are often more practical. Another disadvantage of diaper pants is that they have relatively little capacity for adapting their size.
For young children, the most common type of diaper is what is called an all-in-one diaper, which comprises an absorption body enclosed in an outer cover and which is fastened together at the sides across the child's hips. The fastening is usually done with the aid of special fastening devices arranged on securing tabs. The fastening devices generally used are pressure-sensitive adhesive, or hook-and-loop devices. The securing tabs are in most cases secured on the rear portion of the diaper, at the side edges and near the rear waist edge of the diaper, and are passed forwards across the front portion of the diaper and secured to the latter. The diaper is generally provided with some type of receiving surface for the fastening device on the securing tabs. For adhesive securing tabs, some type of reinforcement of the outer cover of the diaper is used, for example in the form of a plastic strip which permits fastening and opening without breaking. Securing tabs with hook-and-loop devices are most often provided with the male parts (hook devices) of the hook-and-loop device and are secured to a corresponding female part, which can be a nonwoven surface with fibre loops in which the hooks can be securely hooked. The known securing tabs permit a certain adjustment of the fit and size of the diaper, but they are not completely satisfactory in this respect. In particular, both the body shape and girth can vary considerably between different adult users, and the known fastening devices have only a limited capacity for adjustment.
Another type of diaper which is commonly used on heavily incontinent adults is a diaper supported by a belt. Such diapers have a separate or integrated belt which is secured around the user's waist and from which the absorption body of the diaper is suspended. A diaper with an integrated belt usually has one half of the belt secured to the rear end of the diaper and protruding from side edges of the diaper. When the diaper is applied, the belt is secured around the user's waist with the diaper hanging down over the user's rear area. Thereafter, the front portion of the diaper is guided forwards between the user's legs and up across the stomach and is finally secured to the belt across the user's stomach. If the belt is designed to permit fastening across its entire width, it is possible to some extent to adjust the size of the diaper by virtue of the fact that the length or “pelvic dimension” can be varied depending on whether the diaper is secured near the bottom edge or top edge of the belt. However, this possibility of adjustment is very often insufficient, which means that even belt diapers have to be supplied in a number of different sizes.
Alternatively, a belt diaper can be supported by a separate belt. Such a diaper is preferably applied more or less like a diaper with an integrated belt. Thus, the diaper is secured with some type of fastening device to a rear part of the belt, after which the belt is fastened round the user's waist. Thereafter, the free end of the diaper is guided forwards and upwards across the user's stomach and is secured to the belt so that the diaper and the belt together assume a shape similar to briefs. A belt diaper with separate belt permits a slightly greater degree of size adjustment than a diaper with integrated belt. In addition, the belt can be designed so that it can be reused. However, these belt diapers too are still not sufficiently variable to satisfy the need for different sizes of diaper for different users.